Catch Report - Ilfracombe - 12th May 2018 (3)

Date: 12-05-2018

Time of day: Evening - night

Location: Ilfracombe

Mark: The pier

Low Tide: 10:29(1.93m) 22:53(1.84m)

High Tide: 04:25(7.90m) 16:50(8.04m)

Time fished from: 18:40

Time fished to: 23:00

Weather: Cloudy with sunshine and some wind from right to left.

Sea: Fairly clear and choppy with a swell of around 4 foot.

Method: float

Bait: live ragworm

Caught (weight): 1 Pollock (0lbs 5oz, Guessed), 1 Pollock (0lbs 8oz, Guessed), 1 Pollock (1lbs 3oz, Weighed)

The Session: I decided to have a float fishing session on the pier to use up the remaining ragworm from the previous night. I fished from the left hand side of the lower pier and began with the float set at around 10ft deep. I dropped the float about 4 feet from the edge of the pier.

It wasn't long before the float went under but the bait was quickly released by the fish, it wasn't long before the fish tried again or another fish grabbed it and this time I was ready and struck into a typical sized pollock. I continued fishing, changing my depth to as deep as 16 feet and casting between 0 and 40 yards. I only had a couple of bites before darkness fell and I missed them both.

Once darkness had fell, which was around 21:30pm I moved to the right a little and after a few short casts I hooked a bigger pollock. After a few more casts I decided to move back to my left and I climbed the small ladder and fished in the small cove area. I snagged a couple of times here and I couldn't see whether it was the bottom of rouge rocks sticking up quite high, but I changed the depth to 6 feet deep and set my headtorch very dimly and continued to watch my float be gently carried around in the slack water. It soon behaved in an odd way, signalling either snagging again or a fish was taking the bait. The float didn't go under the water but it moved quite sharply around and so I struck.

This fish was clearly better than the others. I think because it fought well I estimated it to be heavier than it was. I was wary of lifing it up so high to where I was standing and I thought about easing the fsih round to the lower pier, but it would have been a struggle getting back down the ladder so I took the risk lifting it out.

It weighed just over 1lb, not as big as I thought when I hooked it but I am hoping it is a sign, coupled with the similar sized fish I was catching here at the end of last year, that the stamp of fish around here may be getting bigger overall.

I had actually used my last, and biggest ragworm for the last casts until I caught that fish so the timing was quite right for me to nmow pack up and go home. It wasn't a hugely productive session but on this pier there are sometimes other anglers who will chat to each other to pass the time when it is quiet.

Tackle used (price) [ time since first used ]:

Set up 1: Rod: Shakespeare Omni Mackerel 10ft 2 piece Fixed Spool (£17.95) [ > 3 years 10 months ]

Reel: Lineaffe Carp 60 Baitrunner Fixed Spool (£12.00) [ > 1 years 9 months ]

Line: Maxima Chameleon 20lb (£17.99) 600m

Hooks: Sakuma Stinger 2 (£15.00) 100

Hooklength: Maxima Clear 15lb (£4.00) 100m